Canada Gairdner International Awards

We invite you to submit nominations for the 2015 Canada Gairdner International Awards (deadline October 1, 2014). Nominees should be individuals whose “seminal discoveries and major scientific contributions constitute an original and significant achievement in biomedical science." Nominations in the field of translational research are welcome.

The recipients will be formally announced on March 25, 2015, and presented at the awards dinner in Toronto on October 29, 2015.

The award recognizes outstanding biomedical scientists who have made original contributions to medicine with the goal of contributing through research to increased understanding of human biology and disease. The award does not recognize a lifetime of work. Gairdner invites the scientific community to nominate qualified scientists from any branch of biomedicine.

The evaluation of the contributions of the nominees depends heavily on the quality of information supplied. Therefore, nominations should be accurate, detailed, current, complete, and with supporting letters reflecting the nominee's accomplishments.

Nomination Submission

Provide a short introduction and summary in about 150 words of the nominee's contribution(s) to biomedical and clinical research.

Present a brief biography including academic, administrative and research positions, awards or recognitions and identify five top publications.

Outline, in an analytical manner, how and why the work of the nominee(s) has advanced basic, clinical and/or population health sciences and clearly indicate how it is set apart from the work of others in the field.

Define whether an individual or shared award would be pertinent to the nomination and if so, who the other nominee(s) sharing the award would be.

Provide a nominee's full current curriculum vitae and bibliography and a contact sheet listing full position, titles, letters, business address, telephone number, fax number, email address and support-person contact.

Arrange for at least two (2) letters of support from colleagues familiar with the nominee's work describing the major contribution to biomedical science. These letters of support are particularly valuable to the evaluation process.

Self-nominations are not accepted

Gairdner does not give posthumous awards.

Nominations for 2015 should be received no later than October 1, 2014. Please note that this is a strict deadline. Nominations received after this date will be considered the following year.

Selection ProcessNominations for the international awards are reviewed on two levels. A Medical Review Panel (MRP), made up of 30 active Canadian researchers in various fields,review and prepare a short list of potential recipients from the nominations received. This Panel is currently co-chaired by Philip Marsden, MD (Professor of Medicine, Renal Division, University of Toronto) and Paul Kubes, PhD (University of Calgary).

A Medical Advisory Board (MAB) comprised of a diverse group of 28 eminent Canadian and international scientists select by secret ballot the recipients for recommendation to the Gairdner Board of Directors. John H. Dirks, MD (Gairdner President & Scientific Director), chairs the MAB.

ConditionsA joint award may be made for the same discovery or contributions to medical science, but each recipient receives a full prize. The prize money is for the personal use of the recipient.

The award must be accepted, in person, by the recipient at the Canada Gairdner Awards dinner on October 29, 2015. All recipients are expected to participate in the National Program in October.

The Prize is valued at $100,000 CDN and is for the personal use of the recipient. In addition an award citation and a commemorative item will be presented.

Awards are made to residents of any country without restriction of gender, race, religion, creed or nationality.

Expenses for travel and accommodations for recipients and their partners to accept the awards are paid by Gairdner.

All selections are final and are not subject to review or challenge.

All nominations will be held for up to 3 years, but nominations should be updated annually.